Branding School Library Media Centers Through the Library Website

1. Branding School Library Media Centers Through the Library Website Klaudia Janek, MLIS International Academy Bloomfield Hills, MI

2. Building an Effective K-12 School Library Website • Examples • Best Practices • Things to Consider • Sharing • GoogleDoc with examples from MAME and LM_NET

4. Favorite School Library Websites • Castilleja School • http://library.castilleja.org/ • Wordpress • Incorporates school colors and logo • On main school website • Recent updates • Databases in alphabetical order w/ description • Professional looking • Easy to navigate • Created with students in mind

5. Things to consider • Large full time staff • Two main menus • Lot of content below the fold = scrolling to the bottom

7. Favorite School Library Websites • Chapel Hill High School • http://chhslibrary.weebly.com/index.html • Weebly • Library is included in the main school menu bar • Effective top menu w/ pull downs to submenus • Important information above the fold • Databases w/ description • Professional looking/ clean • Easy to navigate • Created with students in mind

8. Things to consider • Large banner • No alphabetical listing of databases • Does not integrate school colors/logo/mascot

11. Favorite School Library Websites • Canterbury High School • http://libtest.cburylife.org/ • Many recent updates • Professional looking/ clean • Effective use of widgets • Good use of LibGuides

12. Things to consider • Large banner • You have to scroll to the bottom to get the good stuff • Databases difficult to identify

14. Favorite School Library Websites • New Trier High School • http://www.newtrier.k12.il.us/page.aspx?id=7108 • Library is included on the school top menu • Professional looking/ clean • Good use of icons • Information on teacher assignments are posted (using LibGuides) • School colors and logo match the main school site

15. Things to consider • Databases are hidden behind proxy server

16. Best ways to build an effective library website • Decide what is most important • Include above the fold • List the sources you pay for first! • Then list free ones on a secondary page or at the bottom. • Spell check • Grouping vendors together is not as effective as grouping by subject • Graphics are good • There is such a thing as too many widgets • Consistency is key (in terms of image size, tables, cell size, etc)

17. Best ways to build an effective library website • Try to have a library/media center link from the school home page. • Provide multiple points of access • List resources by subject • List resources alphabetically • Use database widgets and OPAC widgets to integrate library into Moodle/Blackboard • Flip your library by providing links to guided tutorials or YouTube videos

18. Lessons Learned • LibGuides or LiveBinders might be worth exploring • Simple updates are key (choose one or two  not all) • A way to show new books –shelfari, LibraryThing • Student or librarian book reviews are interesting • Upcoming library events • Points of pride • Student projects • Highlight a Resource of the Month

19. Celebrate your SL21 status!

20. Other options I found…

21. Gale Sites…

22. Within a course management system

23. Class Assignments in Moodle

24. Dr. Joyce Valenza • She gets her own slide! • http://sdst.libguides.com/databases • Things to consider • Use of widgets • LibGuides • Glogster • 2 OPAC • Lots of databases and ebooks!

26. What about the Learning Commons Model? By David Loertscher Carol Koechlin Sandi Zwaan Ester Rosenfeld

27. A Definition

28. Virtual Learning Commons

29. Virtual Learning Commons

30. Virtual Learning Commons

31. Features to include: • An area for a parade of super learning experiences working though the learning commons. • A place for tools, tutorials including those created by faculty and students • Collaborative reading centers and initiatives in support of school improvement and the Common Core Standards • The center of school culture • The virtual school yearbook • Professional development in the experimental learning center of the VLC • Collaborative construction of all kinds of lists,  projects, etc. • Connections to all types of libraries and community agencies

32. Features to include: • Connection to an OPAC that is collaborative • Connections to databases and other resources where everyone is helping find and recommend the best • Current events • Activities that draw kids and adults to the VLC • The center of the curriculum and teacher's learning activities and programs; courses, etc. • Connections beyond the school to the community and on into the world • Career information • Connections to experts of all kinds • School-wide projects

35. Middle School VLC

38. YALSA Journal

39. Case study school library in article

40. MAME Recommended Sites • Denise Lovse – Clarkston • Martha Spear – Berkley • Lois Smits - Holland Christian • Teresa Asch - Holt High School • Thomas Stream - Grand Haven Area Public Schools • Beverley Rannow - Otsego Middle-High School • RiaFaber - Covenant Christian High School   • Catholic Central - Novi, MI

41. Personal Experiences • http://galesites.com/k12/lom_inac

42. Follow a district template

43. Tried to implement VLC

45. and applied the IB LP to our school library…

46. Reflection • Three things you can implement tomorrow • Do you have SL21 status? • Do you have a library mission statement? Vision? • What best practices or programs are you/your school involved in? (ie: Visible Thinking, Big 6, IB, Whole Child, etc)